Optical Properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O/sub 3/Films Prepared by Aerosol Deposition

The optical properties and related band structure of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate PZT, Pb(Zr_0.6Ti_0.4)O₃] films prepared on glass substrates at room temperature by aerosol deposition were investigated. The reflectance and transmittance of the PZT films were measured in the wavelength range from UV to near-infrared. The measured optical spectra were analyzed using dielectric function models that describe optical transitions in the band gap region. Optical absorption of the as-deposited PZT films was found to be larger than that of the annealed PZT films in the near-infrared wavelength range. The analyzed results indicated that post-deposition annealing increased the band gap energy of the PZT films, corresponding to a decrease in optical absorption.